TOW new beginnings
by elkabong
Summary: Old friends can often lead to new beginnings. A P&J story... SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN UPDATING!
1. REUNION

CHAPTER ONE: REUNION  
  
As the plane landed in LA, Phoebe was excited. It had been a while since she'd seen Joey last and what made it all more exciting was the fact that she was by herself. It would be just the two of them spending time together, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. She missed Joey. She had a new life with Mike and still saw Ross and Rachel, and Monica and Chandler, though not as often, but still...none of them were Joey.  
  
Joey had invited the whole gang to come out to LA for a visit during his vacation, and at the time the invitation was extended, all of them had agreed to go, but life has a way of getting in the way of friendships and in the end either kids or jobs had prevented them all from going. All except for Phoebe. When Monica had told her she and Chandler weren't going because the twins had come down with the chicken pox, Phoebe was disappointed but understanding, but when Ross and Rachel had to cancel because they both had job engagements that they couldn't get out of, she had panicked! Noooo, she had thought, not you too!  
  
She'd felt compelled to tell Joey that she wasn't going either, but he'd sounded so heartbroken about the whole mess, that in the end she'd decided to go by herself. Mike had been wonderful about the whole thing. He had in fact encouraged her to make the trip by herself. She was sure that her being edgy and cranky for the better part of a week had played a big part in Mike's being understanding, but she just shrugged that thought off. She was seeing Joey again and she was going to damn well enjoy it!  
  
Joey was pacing the gate like a nervous father-to-be. He was too wound up to be still. In a very short while, Phoebe was going to come through the gate!!! That the other four hadn't been able to make it had sucked, but Phoebe's being here more than made up for it. He had missed her and her quirks more than he cared to admit. Even to himself. He'd come out here to further his career and life had been good to him, but he missed his good friends. Things were different out here, not better not worse, just different. He was happy, but something was off, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.  
  
Then, there she was. Looking a little lost, but otherwise as beautiful as the last time he'd seen her. He actually saw her face light up and the "lost" disappear from it when she saw him and started toward him. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and walked up to meet her.  
  
Neither realized they were short of running, and when they reached each other, Phoebe put her arms tightly around Joey's neck as he picked her up just as tightly and swung her. They stood there embracing for a long time, before they reluctantly moved back a little to give themselves a chance to look at each other. They both had knots in their throats and all Joey could get out was "Hey, Pheebs" before Phoebe broke down in sobs..... 


	2. RECOLLECTIONS

CHAPTER TWO: RECOLLECTIONS  
  
"What is it, Phoebe? Are you ok? Please don't cry. You're gonna make me cry" Joey said, with a slight catch in his voice, into Phoebe's hair. She had been crying into his chest and he was just holding her.  
  
Finally, with a sigh, she stepped out of his embrace but kept her hands on his arms, which he'd lowered to hold her waist. "I'm sorry. These are happy tears. It's just so good to see you. I didn't know I was gonna be this emotional". With the tightness of her throat finally gone, she gave him a big bright smile, which had him staring at her, butterflies in his stomach. He gave himself a mental shake.  
  
"It's ok, Pheebs. It's good to see you too. Well, welcome to LA" He smiled as he led her to the baggage claim area. "Let's get your stuff and get out of here. I want to show you as much of this town as I can, so you can go back and tell the others"  
  
"Sure" She said not really caring where they went. She had missed this man an awful lot, but just how much didn't really sink in until she'd had him in front of her. There had always been somewhat of a connection between them that she didn't have with anyone else. No one. Not even Mike.  
  
"How's New York?" Joey's voice brought her out of her reverie.  
  
"Same old same old. How do like it out here? You e-mails don't tell us much."  
  
"It's pretty good..."  
  
"But..." She said, sensing something wasn't totally right.  
  
"I don't know. I like it. The weather, the chicks in bikini everywhere, the new job. It's just... Well... It's..."  
  
"We miss you too, Joey" She said understandingly.  
  
He smiled at her and said nothing. He felt contented. This was the one girl who got him. No words needed. Boy had he missed her! Everyone really, but her in particular. He missed their monthly dinners. Her silliness. Her.  
  
Phoebe brought Joey up to date on everything and everyone, as they left the airport in Joey's car. He knew what was going on, but only on the surface, since only so much can be said in e-mails. Ross and Rachel were doing fine. She told Joey how the last time they'd all gotten together at Monica and Chandler's they had hinted at getting married, but no definite plans yet. Monica had started what seemed like a catering business, only not so elaborate or formal, since she had the twins and a house to see to now. It had started with one of her neighbors asking her to bake her husband a birthday cake as a favor. She then recommended her to her friends, and very soon she was baking cakes on a regular basis. Then, small meals were ordered to complement the birthday cakes, and that's where Monica was at right now.  
  
Rachel had moved in with Ross when Joey left. Ross hadn't wanted to move into Monica's old place and all Rachel wanted was to be with Ross.  
  
"I don't think they will be living in the city much longer, though" Phoebe said with a smile. "With Emma growing up so fast, I think they're ready to have another baby, and that apartment is just not big enough for them, plus a baby, plus Ben when he visits. You just watch them follow Monica and Chandler"  
  
"And how about you, Pheebs? How are you and Mike doing? I thought you guys would have started a family by now"  
  
"Yeah... we're waiting"  
  
"On what?"  
  
"Uh, I don't know... the right time? It's weird but I feel like Mike and I need more time alone before we have kids. But enough about us. Tell me about the new job."  
  
"Well, it's acting, it's well paid. I like it. Oh Phoebe we're gonna have so much fun this weekend. I'm so glad you could make it"  
  
Joey's boy-like excitement was contagious. Phoebe was happy too. More than she remembered being in a while. Since Joey moved away to be exact. She was happy, only not this happy. She wanted to make the best of this weekend.  
  
Joey's apartment was spacious and well distributed. She liked roomy places and was instantly comfortable at Joey's. He showed her around and told her to make herself at home, as he took her stuff into the extra bedroom.  
  
"The bathroom connects both bedrooms, so I'll try not to be noisy if I get up before you do". He said winking. "What do you wanna do tonight?"  
  
"Your town, your pick" she said. "Just give me a couple of hours to rest and I'm all yours. But do you think..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Could we go to Disneyland tomorrow?" She said, half expecting him to make fun of her.  
  
"Of course!! That's, like, my favorite place" He said excitedly. "Now, rest up, because I'm taking you out tonight!"  
  
Phoebe took her shoes off and lay down for a quick nap, but no sooner had she fallen asleep than her cell phone started ringing.  
  
She woke with a start and started rummaging through her purse looking for the ringing cell. "Rats" she thought angry with herself "I totally forgot to call Mike"  
  
She found her cell a minute after it stopped ringing and with self-disgust she saw she had a missed call from her husband. A little of the excitement she had been feeling subsided with that dose of reality, and she couldn't help resenting the intrusion. The resentment so shocked her that when Mike picked up, she had to fight the urge to hang up on him.  
  
"Hey Mike, it's me" 


	3. FUN

CHAPTER THREE: FUN  
  
"Hey, Phoebe!" Mike's voice was cheery, which made Phoebe feel bad for so completely forgetting about him.  
  
"Hi sweetie. I'm sorry I didn't call. I lost track of time. How are you?"  
  
"Missing you, but otherwise fine"  
  
Phoebe tried to smile a genuine smile. She felt Mike could tell she was faking it, though she knew there was no way.  
  
"That's sweet" She could not bring herself to tell him she missed him too, because she honestly didn't. She just wanted to get the call over with. "Joey and I are going to Disneyland tomorrow. Isn't that great?"  
  
"Sounds like fun. Well, I'm glad you made it ok to LA. Enjoy your vacation and I'll see you in a few days. Love ya"  
  
"Thanks. See you soon" With a sigh, she turned the cell phone off and put it away. She felt relieved and was soon fast asleep, and it wasn't until she heard soft knocking that she reluctantly opened her eyes.  
  
"Come in" she said groggily and the door opened to let in a smiling Joey. She was instantly awake and smiled back.  
  
"I didn't wanna wake you, but I really wanna show around and you know what they say about time flying..."  
  
"I'll be ready in a jiffy, Joey. Boy, I guess I was sleepier than I realized"  
  
Joey closed the door to the guestroom and went to the fridge to get a beer and sit in the balcony to wait for Phoebe to be ready. The warm breeze and the smell of the not-too-far-away sea had a calming effect on Joey and he started planning out the evening ahead...  
  
He would show her all the sights and visit all the touristy places, then he would take her to his favorite restaurant, which had a homey atmosphere, and if it wasn't too late or Phoebe wasn't too tired, they could go for a walk to the nearby beach...Damn, he thought, there is so much to do and so little time to do it in.  
  
He finished his beer at about the same time he saw Phoebe come out of the room. He couldn't help the smile on his face. A very small part of him wished Ross, Chandler, Rachel and Monica were here. They would all have a blast. Oh and Mike. Joey frowned at the thought. Well, not Mike. Not really. He wasn't really part of the gang. He was a great guy and all, but he didn't really fit in. No that wasn't true. He did, but... Well, hell. He just didn't want Mike around. Period. He got up, opened the sliding door and joined Phoebe.  
  
"Wow. You look great, Pheebs. Ready to go?" He said with a smile, his eyes appreciatively looking her over.  
  
"You bet, baby. Let's go have fun"  
  
Joey had to remind himself this was Phoebe. His FRIEND Phoebe. His MARRIED friend Phoebe. However, an unfamiliar and not altogether unpleasant feeling was coming over him the more he saw her, which spelled trouble but Joey being Joey was blessedly unaware. 


	4. TIME FLIES

**CHAPTER FOUR: TIME FLIES**

The night air was turning chilly, but Phoebe didn't want to say anything for fear the evening would end. The sound of breaking waves and the feel of the cool, dark sand on her bare feet had a soothing effect. Not that she needed soothing. She was pleasantly tired. Joey had given her the short version of the tour and although they had seen a million things in a few hours, she remembered very little. She had just savored the time she and Joey were spending together. Dinner had been great and having dessert on the beach seemed like the perfect ending for a perfect evening.

"This is wonderful, Joey. I'm so jealous you live so close to the beach, you lucky thing you."

"Hey, you can come stay with me any time. You know that. I like walking on the beach at night. It clears my head and look..." he said pointing to a spot was made a bit secluded by the natural winding of the beach "my favorite place. This is where I come sometimes when I can't sleep"

"It's beautiful, Joe"

"It is isn't it?"

When they reached the spot, Joey spread the blanket he'd brought, sat down and handed Phoebe a bag with dessert.

"This is the best chocolate pie ever, Pheebs. You gotta taste it!"

Phoebe was mesmerized by the ocean but turned around and joined Joey on the blanket.

"I'm having so much fun. I wish the guys could have been here... but oh well, their loss is my gain" she said with a smile as she started eating her dessert. "Oh my God! This is delicious"

Joey gave her an I-told-you-so smile and kept on eating until his pie was gone.

"Oh man, no wonder you like this restaurant so much. This is really good" With a gasp she said "I bet this beats Chandler and Rachel's infamous cheesecake from Mama's Little Bakery"

"By a long shot, babe" he said contentedly. He had stretched out on the blanket and using his hands as a pillow, was gazing at the stars, waiting for Phoebe to be done eating.

"So" Phoebe asked when she was done "is this a favorite place for the ladies?"

Joey turned to look at Phoebe, and with the darkness of the hour surrounding them, he guessed more than saw the teasing smile on her face.

"Surprisingly enough, I have never brought a girl out here" he said "I told you I come out here when I can't sleep. I never thought about being here with a girl"

"That is a surprise. Oh! You know what would be a great idea? To go skinny-dipping! Comeoncomeoncomeon. Let's do it!"

Joey went still and just watched Phoebe stand up and pull her dress over her head. There was no moon and visibility was only hinted at by the glare of the city lights, but Joey's imagination needed no lighting. He slowly sat up and hesitated only slightly, before he too got rid of his shirt and pants.

"We could get in trouble, you know" he said half-heartedly

"I know" she said with a smile as her undergarments joined the dress she'd been wearing "but let's do it anyway" and she ran toward the ocean.

It was the sight of Phoebe's naked backside running to the beach that jolted Joey into action and soon both of them were playing in the water splashing each other. The water was cool, but neither of them seemed to mind. They continued trying to sink and splash each other for a good while, until Phoebe breathlessly called for a truce.

"Are you ok, Pheebs?"

"Yeah, I just need to catch my breath..."

"Come on. Let's get out"

"Aw, not yet. I'm having fun"

"I know but aren't you tired? It's 5 a.m. in New York!"

"Oops. Sorry, Joey. I forgot you're an old man now" She teased as she started toward the shore.

"Old?!? I'll show you old" He said and started toward her, which made Phoebe shriek as she started trying to run aided by the movement of the waves. As soon as she felt the sand under her feet, she picked up the pace laughing hard feeling Joey gaining on her, but Joey's legs were longer and stronger and no sooner had she left the water than Joey grabbed her waist and they both landed on the sand, out of breath.

It took Phoebe about ten minutes to stop laughing. Being chased was fun, but getting caught was hilarious. As her laughter subsided into a smile, she opened her eyes and stared up Joey's smiling face. She was on her back and Joey was on his side, very close to her, his arm still around her waist. She returned his smile and with her hand she wiped off some of the water dripping down his face.

Phoebe's innocent touch felt like a surge of electricity down Joey's body. His breath caught and was all of a sudden aware that he was holding a naked girl.

The feeling of Joey's cool skin had a warming effect on Phoebe and her stomach started doing flips like she was in a rollercoaster.

Neither of them realized they were just lying there, staring at each other until the soft breeze made Phoebe shiver.

"Are you cold?" Joey's voice came out a little hoarse, but Phoebe didn't notice.

"A little bit" her own voice was deeper than usual "we should...uh...you know...uh... go home" she lost her train of thought looking at him watch her.

"Yeah". Taking a deep breath, Joey let go of Phoebe, got up and helped her to her feet. Trying not to look at her naked body, he quickly dressed, not caring that he was getting sand all over his clothes. When he finished, he glanced at Phoebe and saw that she was dressed too and that she was looking at him. He saw her smile and once again was overcome by a feeling of breathlessness. She was so beautiful. Even in that disheveled state, full of sand and her hair in disarray, she was exquisite, and so off-limits he felt like crying.

"Thank you, Joey. This evening was wonderful" she said huskily as she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, which was more than he could bare. Her closeness and the feel of her soft lips on his skin were his undoing and his arms went around her and his lips caught hers for a hungry kiss.


	5. BLAME IT ON DESSERT

**CHAPTER FIVE: BLAME IT ON DESSERT **

Phoebe's arms went instinctively around Joey's neck because her legs felt weak and she pressed herself against him for support. He felt her respond and he slowly lowered them to the blanket that was still spread on the sand.

Neither of them was thinking; feeling was enough. The taste of her was driving Joey mad. Joey's mouth left Phoebe's lips to start a trail along her jawline to her ear and down her neck. Phoebe was in a daze of pleasure, her hands were roaming all over his back and she could feel the sand still on his body.

Joey left Phoebe's body only long enough to take off her dress and she sat up to help him get out of his shirt. He was kneeling, but had to sit when Phoebe started kissing a path up his bare stomach to his chest. Little by little, she pushed him to a lying position with her kissing and sliding her body up his, and it was his turn to caress her. When his hands felt her bra, he deftly unhooked it and freed her breasts.

He quickly turned her around so that she was lying under him and he was about to kiss her when reality intruded. He had never seen Phoebe this beautiful. There was nothing he wanted more than to make love to her on this secluded beach until dawn, but he knew he couldn't. She'd hate him come morning. So he pulled away from her and sat with his back to her.

"What's wrong, Joey?" she said as she softly caressed his back.

"I'm sorry, Pheebs. I can't do this to you. To us. I don't want to see your face full of regrets in the morning and I don't want to lose your friendship, because it means the world to me."

Joey's words had a sobering effect. She was feeling some regrets, but of a different kind. Right now at this very second, she was very much regretting that she was married. She didn't want to dwell on why; she didn't want to analyze what she was feeling. This was something unexpected. She just knew that she wanted Joey to make love to her, but she also knew that Joey would feel bad for Mike and she didn't want HIM having any regrets.

She sighed and sat up, "You mean a lot to me too, Joey" she said softly "and you're probably right. I don't want things to be awkward between us. Let's just blame this on... let's see...the chocolate pie!!!... Bad chocolate pie!" Phoebe hoped that her feeble attempt at humor wasn't lost on Joey. She so didn't want any weirdness to ruin her time with him. She couldn't tell what his reaction had been, since he was still staring ahead at the sea.

Her feather-like touch on his back was torture, considering his body hadn't had time to cool off, but he withstood it. He knew she wanted to lighten the mood and he half smiled and slightly shook his head before he turned to look at her.

"No wonder people say chocolate is sinfully delicious" he joked back.

Relieved that she'd managed to put Joey at ease, suddenly she felt exhausted and she yawned. Boy. Putting up a front was really tiring. All she wanted now was a hot shower and a nice bed.

"Let's go, Pheebs. We have another long day ahead of us."

"Ugh!! Does that mean we have to get up early?"

"You mean in about three hours?" he said with a smile "No. You can sleep as late as you want. We'll just leave whenever you're ready. Disneyland isn't going anywhere"

Feeling a little more under control, he stood up and helped her to her feet. He was still wearing his pants, but was naked from the waist up and she was wearing only her panties. As he was helping Phoebe up, he pulled a little too hard and she rammed into his chest. He heard her gasp when her skin touched his and his resolve melted.

He pulled back to look at her in the dimness of the night, and slowly, as if leaving the decision to stop him up to her, he started kissing her. Phoebe parted her lips to deepen the kiss. She was afraid he would stop again so she held him tight, but having given up the fight, Joey wasn't about to.

Once again, they found themselves lying on the blanket, and in no time they had gotten rid of their remaining garments. There was some kind of desperation in the way Phoebe was kissing him, as if she was urging him forward, and soon they were joined. It was such exquisite pleasure for both of them that they wanted to savor the moment, make it last. But their feelings were just too intense, and their relief came quickly, leaving them exhausted, satisfied and full of a contentment that neither had experienced previously.

Phoebe closed her eyes to relish the feeling of being one with Joey. The happiness she felt made her eyes well up and as she closed her eyes, two tears slid down the corner of her eyes and she held Joey tighter.

Joey felt her embrace tightening and moved off her so he could hold her. He kissed her tenderly and then heard her whisper in his ear.

"No regrets, Joey"

"No, Phoebe. None"


	6. NEW YORK

**CHAPTER SIX: NEW YORK**

"We have begun our final descent into New York City, we ask at this time that you fasten your seatbelts, straighten your seats and put your service tables up. Thank you for flying with us". The flight attendant's voice intruded into Phoebe's thoughts and brought fresh tears to her eyes. The plane hadn't landed yet and already she felt she couldn't breathe. Emotion had been choking her for the better part of the trip. It had been a test to her self-control not to cry when she'd said goodbye to Joey a mere four hours ago. She hadn't wanted to part on a sad note, so the goodbye at the airport had been rushed. But once on the plane, she was unable to stop the tears. The memories of the time she and Joey spent together were too fresh and she'd cried for the better part of the flight.

She smiled as she remembered how they had hardly left his apartment after that first night on the beach. They had started to go to Disneyland the next day, but they had woken up around noon and waking up next to each other was new for both of them and they had spent a good deal of time making love.

Some time in the late afternoon they had changed and gone out to eat. It amazed Phoebe how easy it had been for them to isolate themselves from their regular lives. From the world, as a matter of fact. They had done a lot of talking. Joey had told her about his plans to buy a house a little closer to all of them so that he could visit more often. He also talked about how he never realized that as people get older, making new friendships wasn't as easy. Just anyone wouldn't do. People get pickier.

She hadn't said much. Her only major change was being married and that was a subject that neither of them had brought up. It was as if the entire world but them had ceased to exist.

Her remaining time in L.A. was now a blur of long walks, long talks, many laughs, a million hugs and tender kisses. Their lovemaking had been sometimes gentle, and others passionate, but the last two times, sex had had a desperation to it that had torn at both their hearts.

The thud of the plane landing brought Phoebe back to the present. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She was nervous about seeing Mike. Only once during her stay had she called him, and that call had been brief. When she had finally taken out her cell phone at the airport, she'd seen she had many missed calls, none of which she had bothered to check. She was sure a good number of them were from Mike, and that mildly annoyed her, but she shook the feeling since that was unfair to him. She would call him from baggage claim.

She felt relieved she'd picked a window seat. She watched the commotion of everyone getting their stuff and exiting the plane, but made no move to do the same. She waited until the plane was almost empty to leave her seat. Because all the rush had died down by the time she reached baggage claim, she was in and out in no time. Once she was in a cab on her way home, she finally called home.

"_Hello" _

"Mike, it's Phoebe..." she said hesitantly. She was expecting him to be angry for not returning his calls.

"_Hey stranger!"_ came the enthusiastic reply. _"Ready to come home yet?"_

"As a matter of fact, I am home. Well, in New York. I'm on my way. I took a cab."

"_You should have called me. I'd have met you at the airport"_

"I'm sorry"

"_Oh please, it's no big deal. I'm glad you're back. How's Joey?"_

She knew that question was coming. She expected it.

"He's fine. He sends his love. Well, I'll see you in a little bit. Ok?"

"_Sure thing. Bye"_

"Bye"

Being in familiar surroundings soothed the choking feeling she'd had since leaving L.A. All of a sudden, she felt like having coffee in the all-too-familiar Central Perk, with their big cups. She felt like turning back time a few years. Why was it that you never knew what you had till it's gone? Why, when she was so careful of paying attention to signs, had she not called off the wedding when they were snowed in?

Well, there was no use in lamenting what couldn't be undone.

She paid the cab fare and walked into her and Mike's building. He'd been watching for her and he was there to help her with her luggage. He gave her a big hug and a peck on the lips that she hesitantly returned.

"Long time no see" he said "how was L.A.?

She made her smile as bright as she could and started into the building. "It's not New York, I'll tell you that much, but it was fun. How were things here?"

"Busy. My parents called me the day you left. They wanted to invite us to go to Cape Cod with them and some of their friends for the weekend"

They got into the apartment and Phoebe went straight to the answering machine, and was a bit disappointed not to find a message, which was ridiculous considering Mike had been home for most of day.

"Wow. Did you go?" she said absentmindedly

"Yeah. We had a good time too. I saw an old childhood friend" He said taking her stuff into their bedroom. "I hadn't seen her in ages."

"Really? That's great! It's good to see old friends, isn't it?" The ringing of the phone prevented her from hearing Mike's answer. She hurriedly picked up before Mike had a chance to come out of their bedroom.

"_Pheebs? How are you? Welcome back, honey. How's Joey?" _Rachel's voice brought Joey back to Phoebe's thoughts and a lump quickly formed in her throat. She swallowed hard and answered as normallyas possible.

"He's doing great! He misses you guys so much." Phoebe was talking excitedly a mile a minute. It felt good to talk to Rachel. She wished she could tell her all that happened. She needed another woman's view on the situation, because hers was clouded by the overwhelming feelings she recently discovered she had for Joey. Seeing Mike again had only confirmed that although she cared for him a great deal, she was no longer in love with him and she wondered if she'd ever been.

"_Aw... did you tell him we missed him too?"_

"Yes, I did. So... how was your weekend?"

"_Well, honey, you know we had to work, so my parents...yes. BOTH my parents got Emma Thursday and Friday. Their love for my daughter is one thing they both agree on. Anyway, Ross's parents were watching Ben and they called to see if Emma could go too. I just got Emma back and since Ross is still at work I was wondering if you guys wanted to have dinner with me_."

"I'd love to, Rachel but let me ask Mike"

"Ask me what?" he said from behind her, startling her

"Rachel wants to know if we wanna have dinner with her"

"Sure. We'll just have our reunion, later" he whispered and winked at her.

Phoebe's smiled tightly and nodded and quickly went back to making dinner plans with Rachel.

"_Oh good. I hate eating by myself. Well, I know I'm with Emma but, you know, with someone... oh hell, you know what I mean_."

"Yes, I do" Phoebe said smiling into the phone "We'll see you there in an hour. I just have to change out of these plane clothes"

"_Phoebe, we're not going anywhere fancy, plain clothes will be just fine_"

"Airplane, Rachel, airplane clothes"

"_Oh. Alright then. See you guys in a bit_"

Rachel was already at the restaurant when they got there and she was on her cell to Monica.

"Wow... I thought those never expired..."

"....."

"I bet you are. Well, I don't know what to say...just do it again"

"..."

"I don't mean the reception, Monica!!! Just the official part"

"...."

Rachel rolled her eyes at Phoebe and Mike as she got up to hug and kiss them while still listening to Monica rant and rave about something.

"What the hell difference does it make? You can celebrate any damn date you want!"

"...."

"I know. How are they doing?"

"..."

"Oh, Mon, I'm so sorry! I'd go visit, but Emma hasn't had the chickenpox and I don't want her exposed"

"..."

"Hang in there. And look at it this way, we have a good excuse to throw a big party"

"..."

"You do that. Take care. Bye" she hung up and turned to Phoebe and Mike. "I guess it's true that when it rains, it pours. Poor Monica. She was already going crazy from the twins' being sick and then she said she got a letter from City Hall telling her that their marriage was invalid"

"What?!?" Phoebe and Mike said at the same time.

"Why?" asked Mike

"Well, apparently Joey's internet ordainment had a very short-lived expiration date that had already come and gone by the time Chandler and Monica got married. Monica is flipping because she thinks...." She halted in mid-sentence, when seeing their shocked expressions made her realize what that implied.

"Well" Rachel said nonchalantly trying to lighten the blow she'd inadvertently dealt them "I guess we'll be having two weddings pretty soon..."


	7. LOS ANGELES

**CHAPTER SEVEN: LOS ANGELES**

Long after Phoebe's plane had taken off, Joey had stayed at the airport. Their goodbye had been hasty. Hell, that entire morning had been hasty. He had awakened when he'd felt a warm body snuggling up to his. "Phoebe" he remembered thinking, followed immediately by "She's leaving". It was that thought that had distressed him to the point that their lovemaking had been desperate. Desperate enough for him to have considered asking her to stay, but he couldn't have done that to her. One of the things he loved about Phoebe was her loyalty, and she would've never done that to Mike.

He was still in awe about having been with her. That alone told him how much he meant to her, but still, he would have done nothing that would hurt Phoebe or make her feel uncomfortable. So he'd said nothing.

The ride to the airport had been full of Phoebe's incessant chatter about this and that movie star and how beautiful people were in L.A. He had managed to answer with monosyllables, when at all.

It wasn't until they'd been at the gate that he'd started to speak.

"I'm REALLY glad you came, Pheebs. I wish..." but she had interrupted him.

"Joey, let's just say 'see you later' ok? Take care of yourself and don't stop e-mailing us" He'd seen the slight moisture in her eyes, but her smile had been big. Then she had held him tightly for a bit, before she hurriedly boarded.

The day had gone by excruciatingly slow for Joey after finally leaving the airport. Usually glad to have time off, he found himself looking forward to going back to work, if only to have something to occupy his mind in. Something besides these past few days.

He'd been tempted to call her, but had resisted the urge because he figured Mike would be with her and he couldn't deal with that. He thought about calling Chandler, but he didn't know how to start.

When the feeling of restlessness had gotten to the point that not even food calmed him down, he'd gone to his favorite beach spot only to find that it was loaded with memories of her. He'd sat for a while but the respite he usually got had eluded him. The spot wasn't just his anymore. It was theirs and he no longer derived any joy from just being there.

So here he was, eating pizza and drinking beer on his balcony. The Joey special was almost gone, and he was about to get ready to go out when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Joe. How are things in la la land?"_

"Chandler! Hey man!!! Things are great! How are you guys? And the twins? Are they better?"

"_Yeah Joe. The chickenpox magically went away in less than a week" _was Chandler's sarcastic retort.

His sarcasm went over Joey's head as usual. More so today than ever since he was hearing without really listening. He wanted to talk to Chandler.

"Chandler, I'm so glad you called. I was just thinking about you guys"

"_Believe me, Joey, we too have been thinking about you. A lot. Especially since yesterday"_

"Why? What was yesterday?"

"_Do you remember how you wanted to marry me and Monica and how at first we didn't want you to because we figured you'd find a way to screw it up?"_

"Yes. Showed you didn't I? He said with a smile.

"_Sure you showed us. You showed us we should have trusted our instincts"_

"What?? What's wrong?"

"_Oh nothing much. Just that being an ordained minister online doesn't last forever. It didn't even last till our wedding date. The City of New York regretted to inform us in a letter yesterday that our marriage was invalid"_

"Oh my God! Dude, I'm sorry. I was so excited that you'd agreed for me to marry you that I wasn't paying much attention... How mad is Monica at me?"

"_Well, she's decided that since we're no longer husband and wife. You're no longer our friend, and won't be until we're married again. I said that everyone made mistakes and friends should be forgiving. Of course I waited until she'd left the room to say it. "_

"Still scared huh?"

"_Oh yeah. That's kind of why I'm not so much calling you from my cell, as I am upstairs cleaning the cellar" _

"Dude you're so whipped!!"

"_Yeah well. You'll get your turn, Joey. I have a feeling that you're gonna be worse than Ross and I with your wife. So, did you and Phoebe have fun?"_

Yes, we did. You know? I kind of wanted to talk to you about that..." Joey was thinking of the best way to start, when he heard Monica's voice on the background.

"_That had better be a wrong number you're talking to..."_

"_For the umpteenth time... you have the wrong number!" _Joey heard Chandler say into the phone before the line went dead.

He smiled at his antics, but couldn't help feeling disappointed that he didn't get a chance to tell Chandler about him and Phoebe. Replacing the receiver, he went to where he kept his laptop and got online to check on what Chandler had told him. He couldn't believe those people. You would think they would send you some kind of notice that your permit was about to expire.

He felt bad that Monica and Chandler were inconvenienced. He hoped this incident wouldn't affect the adoption or disrupted their lives more than having to sign a piece of paper again. This sucked, but Joey wasn't overly worried. It wasn't as if he did this for a living. He'd only done this for Chandler and Monica...

Realization hit Joey like a ton of bricks. He sat dumbfounded in front of the screen, hardly breathing for a while. Then his heart started beating wildly and he shot up from the chair and ran to the phone, and hastily dialed a number.

"_You've reached the Hanningans. We're not home, but leave us a message"_

Hearing Mike's voice on the machine gave him pause. He had to think for a minute. Actually, more than a minute. This turn of events required major mulling over, a course of action and sound decisions, none of which were his strong suit.

Suddenly, L.A. was wrong. Too polluted. Too crowded. Too shallow. Too sunny. Too far.

He sat by the phone for a while, trying to decided his next move, and in a burst of decisiveness, dialed another number.

"Hi Ma. It's Joey. Guess what? I'm coming home...."


	8. DECISIONS

**CHAPTER EIGHT: DECISIONS**

Sleep eluded Phoebe that night, although the first thing she'd said to Mike when they walked in had been "This has been a long day and I'm really tired. I think I'm gonna turn in". He'd been disappointed but said nothing.

Phoebe's mind was reeling. She wasn't married! She looked at the bedside table and saw that it was 3 a.m. It was only midnight in L.A. She rolled her eyes and sighed. She needed to stop trying to guess what Joey was doing at any particular moment, but it was hard.

She wanted so much to call him and talk to him about this, about them. She wanted to tell him how much she missed him already. She got a lump in her throat thinking that the previous night she'd gone to sleep with his arms around her. She closed her eyes at the memory to prevent her eyes from filling with tears.

She needed to figure out what to do about Mike. Mike. He was such a dear and she didn't want to hurt him, but she wanted a chance with Joey. Quietly she left the bed and went to the kitchen for a glass of milk.

As she sat on her couch, sipping the warm milk, her eyes happened upon her cell phone being charged. She hadn't taken it to dinner with her! She went to check it and noticed she had some missed calls from Joey.

With her heart beating erratically, she took the phone and nervously dialed Joey's number.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi. I'm sorry to call so late..."

"_Oh God, Pheebs! Finally!!! I figured you'd call when you saw your cell. I have some news..." _

"Oh my God! I do too" she excitedly interrupted him...

"I'm not married!"_ "You're not married!" _Both said in unison and then:

"I know!" _"I know!" _

"Who told you?" _"Who told you?" _

"Stop, please" she finally said before softly giggling. Oh this felt good, talking to him. She could tell he was smiling too.

"_Chandler called me today. No. Wait. Yesterday. When does the day begin? Oh who cares! He called to tell me Monica was pissed at me blah blah blah. Long story short. You're not married"_

"I know" she said softly and then became quiet.

"_Phoebe, I know we didn't get a chance to talk about what happened between us, but before you make any decisions, you need to know that, well, um, I'd like a chance to... um, you know..." _As usual, he had trouble getting words out, but finally he just said... _"I love you"._

Phoebe's eyes filled with tears upon hearing that. She was so happy. She swallowed hard and wished she hadn't come back without talking to Joey.

"I love you too, Joey. You have no idea how much. I can't believe it took your moving away for me to realize that."

"_I moving back to New York, Phoebe"_

"What? What about your job?"

"_I'll find another one. I can't stand that you're on the other side of the country."_

"Oh my God. Joey, this is huge!! Are you sure? I don't want you to make any rash decisions. I still have things to sort out. I still don't know what to do about Mike. I mean I know what I want to do, but I need to figure out a way to let him down easy."

Joey didn't immediately answer. He knew things were complicated, but he wanted Phoebe to resolve her situation quickly so that they could be together. He felt sorry for Mike, but, damn, waiting wasn't something he did well.

"Joey? Are you there?" He'd been so quiet, Phoebe thought they'd been disconnected.

"_Yes, Pheebs, I'm here. I was just...you know... thinking about how we could speed things along, but I guess there's no easy way to do this...huh?" _

The pleading tone in his voice broke Phoebe's heart a little. She wanted nothing more than to do that, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt Mike like that.

"No, Joey, there isn't, but I will start working on it immediately. To me, you and I are already together. You're the only one I wanna be with. Trust that ok?"

Phoebe's words were reassuring and Joey felt less anxious.

"_Phoebe, you know I trust anything you tell me, and anyway I have a bunch of stuff I have to do before I can leave L.A. Quit my job, sell my car, break the lease. It'll be at least a month before I'm in New York."_

"I'll be waiting"

There was a pause in the conversation, which made Phoebe frown a little.

"_I gotta ask you something"_

"What is it?"

"_Where will you be waiting?"_

"Well, here in New York"

"_Where in New York?"_

"I don't unders..."

"_Are you moving out?" _he cut her off before she could finish and before he lost his nerve.

Phoebe was quiet for a minute.

"Joey... I can't just move out"

"_I know, I know. I guess I just hoped...you know... since you guys aren't married... that..."_

"I'm not gonna sleep with Mike, Joey. I told you. In my heart, I'm already with you. I couldn't do that to you"

He felt a little silly, being jealous, but he was also relieved. If there was ever a woman he could trust, Phoebe was she.

"_I love you, Pheebs..."_

"I know and I love you and this jealous side of you I didn't know you had. It's kinda sexy." She finished that sentence with a yawn. She was really tired now that she'd settle things with Joey. Tomorrow she would worry about Mike. Right now she was savoring the feeling of knowing Joey was hers.

_I'll let you go"_ he said with some regret _"I've kept you up yet another night"_

Phoebe blushed slightly at his allusion to their time together. She was still amazed that Joey was the only guy that still made her feel a little shy.

"Goodnight, baby"

"_Sweet dreams and Pheebs?"_

"Yes?"

"_Put in a good word for me with Monica ok? She's not as thrilled as you about her annulled marriage"_

"Will do"

Phoebe sat on the couch for a spell longer, with a smile on her face, then the chill of the early morning made her get up to get a blanket, but she didn't go back to bed. She went back to the living room and lay down on the couch and immediately fell asleep.

It was the gently stroke of a hand on her cheek that woke her up.

"Joey?" she smiled, still half asleep.

"No, sleepyhead. Not Joey. It's Mike. Don't you have people to massage today?

Hearing Mike's voice woke her up instantly and she sat up, words failing her.

"What are you doing in the living room? Couldn't you sleep?" he asked with a smile, noticing the half empty glass of milk.

"Something woke me and I couldn't go back to sleep"

"Well, it's already after 8 a.m. and I have to go. Are you working today?"

"I don't feel up to it. I think I'll go see how Monica is doing with the twins"

"We need to talk about this marriage thing"

"Um... sure... we'll do that tonight"

"Ok. I have to go now"

"Well, you have a great day!" she said as she got up to go to the kitchen, the glass with the unfinished milk on one hand and the blanket on the other.

"Bye" said Mike, slightly confused by the cold send off, but he had other things on his mind, so he let it go at that and left.

As soon as the door closed, Phoebe sighed in relief. Things were going to be harder than she thought. She was uncomfortable around Mike and she hated that. She had told Joey she would immediately start on a solution, but she didn't know how to.

She was still tired. She hadn't had enough sleep, but she couldn't afford to go back to bed. She needed to work things out, but she needed help and Monica was just the person. Well, maybe not, but she needed to get Monica to stop being mad a Joey and Phoebe's situation was just the thing to distract her with, and Monica needed a distraction. What with the kids being sick and all, she probably needed help more desperately than Phoebe.

Just then, a thought occurred to Phoebe and she smiled as an idea started to take shape so she wouldn't have to lie to keep Mike at length and that at the same time would help her friend. It was a good idea. She just hoped it worked.


	9. FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS

**CHAPTER NINE: FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS**

Monica was sipping coffee in the breakfast room by her kitchen. This was her favorite spot because her breakfast table was close to the French doors that opened into the well-manicured lawn of her backyard.

She was feeling quite content. She didn't know if it was because the morning was a sunny one or because last night, the twins' chicken pox had finally subsided. They still had the scabs, but the itching was gone and they had at last slept through the night. And so had she.

Feeling so well rested had a way of putting things into perspective. She had been on edge for the past week and a half, ever since she'd noticed the kids coming down with a fever that wouldn't go away. Seeing their little bodies covered in spots had her freaking out. Having to cancel their long-awaited vacation to L.A. hadn't helped matters and neither had the fact that the illness that was usually gone within 10 days had lasted a few extra for them.

That, along with the lack of sleep and her having to be isolated, had made her overreact just a tad to the news that she and Chandler weren't really married. She made herself cringe just remembering how loud she'd been when letting Chandler know they were not to be Joey's friends anymore. Not until he fixed this mess.

Chandler had taken the news more in stride, because, since he got to leave the house every day and interact with people, he wasn't feeling as isolated. Or as tired for that matter, since because he was now the breadwinner and had to get up early to go to work, he got to sleep through the night, while she was sleeping with the kids.

Now that she was more herself, she was only slightly annoyed with Joey, and could see the humor in the situation. She knew it was just a matter of going to City Hall and doing it over. Rachel had tried to tell her that last night, but she'd been in no mood to listen. She needed to vent and vent she had.

She heard Chandler in the monitor go into the kids' room and softly whispering to them.

"Daddy's leaving" and imagined more than saw his softly kissing their little sleeping heads.

She got up to pour him a cup of coffee and put some bagels in the toaster.

"Morning" he said cautiously

She bestowed him with a bright smile that still had the power to turn his insides into butter and he approached her with a similar smile, one that told her she was going to get kissed.

The ringing of the phone interrupted their passionate kiss.

"Damn" he said, before picking up. "Hello?"

"..."

"Hi, Pheebs. How was... are you this fine morning?" He caught himself before bringing up L.A. or anything to do with Joey. Monica hadn't kissed him like that in a while and he didn't want to spoil the mood.

"..."

"Oh, yeah. She's right here. Hold on" Resigned, Chandler gave the phone to Monica, who, placing her hand over the receiver, gave him another big kiss and whispered: "We'll have fun tonight", and started talking to Phoebe.

Chandler looked for his Starbucks thermo mug, poured his coffee, got his bagel and quickly left for work with a quick "See you this evening".

Monica had just waved while still on the phone.

"... _so I decided to play hooky and come see you guys." _

"That would be great, Pheebs. I feel like I've been in a cave for 2 weeks. What time will you be here?"

"_I just need to shower and change. I'll be there in 2 hours tops. Is Chandler working today?"_

"Yes. He just left. Why?"

"_Well... I kinda wanna talk to you about something personal"_

"He's gone and won't be back till 6 or 7. Are you ok, Phoebe?"

"_Yes... well, no... I mean... I will be. I'll see you soon ok?"_

"Ok, Pheebs. Bye"

Monica went to finish her breakfast with a pensive look. Phoebe had sounded weird on the phone. With a mental shrug, she finished her coffee and started straightening up her kitchen. She figured she would know soon enough.

She wasn't as curious as Rachel, who would have probably spent the morning racking her brain for an answer or pestered Phoebe on the phone until she told her what was wrong. She smiled when she thought of Rachel. Monica had a feeling that pretty soon she was gonna be planning Rachel and Ross's wedding. They hadn't actually set a date or asked for her help, for that matter, but damn it, planning was her thing, Ross was her brother and Rachel her best friend, so this baby was in the bag.

She went to check on Jack and Erica, making sure they were still sleeping before she went to get a shower and to change before Phoebe got there. She was looking forward to tonight with Chandler. They hadn't had time for themselves since the kids got sick.

By the time Phoebe got there, Monica had already bathed and fed the children and they were in the backyard where they could run free, without her having to worry that they might hurt themselves when they fell down.

Phoebe rang the doorbell, but let herself in when no one came to the door. She followed the sounds of laughter and through the open French doors, saw Monica chasing her twins. She dropped her handbag on a chair and went outside.

"Hey Phoebe! You're here! Look guys, it's aunt Phoebe!"

Soon, Phoebe too had joined the chasing and the four of them played until it was time for the kids to have lunch. She helped Monica feed them and put them down for a nap.

"Whew! They are a handful aren't they?" Phoebe said when they returned from the children's room.

"It's a full time job, but I'm not complaining" she said tongue-in-cheek

"You could've fooled Rachel last night" Phoebe teased.

"I know. It's just that I had hardly had any sleep, our trip to L.A. was cancelled, I hadn't seen an adult except for Chandler in over a week and to top it all off, I found out I'm not married. I guess, it was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I overreacted a tiny little bit."

"So you're not mad at Joey anymore?" Phoebe asked, her tone hopeful.

"No, I'm not. Like I said..." She stopped and gave Phoebe a strange look. "and just how did you know I was mad at Joey? I just found out two days ago about the marriage, and you weren't here. I didn't say anything to Rachel last night and this is the first time you and I speak"

Phoebe blushed, avoided Monica's eyes and quietly said: "Joey told me."

"That must have been some conversation you two had for you to blush like that..." Monica teased. Seeing Phoebe's face turn redder, her curiosity was pricked.

"Phoebe" she said smiling worriedly, "What's going on? Is this the 'something personal' you needed to talk to me about?" then with a gasp... "Oh my God! What happened in L.A.?" then with louder gasp "Oh my God!!!"

"Monica, I..." was all she got out before the lump in her throat got so big that she couldn't speak. The weight of everything that had happened finally took its toll and she started crying.

Monica got up and went to hug her friend.

"Do you feel better?" she asked Phoebe when she had stopped crying.

Phoebe sighed and gave Monica a sad smile. "A little bit, but I have a favor to ask..."

"Anything, Phoebe"

It took Phoebe most of the afternoon to tell Monica everything that had gone on in L.A. How devastated she'd felt when she left Joey, the awkwardness with Mike and the sad position she was in now wanting nothing more than to be with Joey, but having to hurt Mike to do it.

"Honey, I'd hate to be in your shoes, but if you feel that strongly about Joey, and I know you do, you have to tell Mike you're not gonna marry him again."

"I know, Monica, but it's hard. He's so sweet, and it just kills me that I've been avoiding him since I got back."

"I understand, but how long do you think you can avoid him? You live with him!"

"Well, that's kind of why I need to ask you a favor..."

"I am NOT gonna tell Mike that you don't wanna marry him... not after I made him go all the way to Barbados for you!!!"

"No, no, no... that's not it. It's just that...well... you know... with the twins being sick and all... I thought you might... MIGHT, mind you, need me to stay with you to help you for a couple of 3 weeks or, you know a month."

"What? Phoebe, the kids are better I don't..."

"Mike is a musician, Monica, not a doctor. He doesn't need to know all the details."

"How is that gonna help you? I mean, you're welcome to stay with us as long as you want, but..." Monica started to tell her that it'd be better if she just came clean with Mike. That the longer she waited that harder it'd be, but Phoebe's pitiful "Please, Monica" held her tongue, and she agreed.

"Thanks, Mon" she said, giving her a hug. "I owe you"

"About that..." Monica said with a naughty grin, remembering the promise she'd made to Chandler that morning. If Phoebe were to stay with them starting tonight, she wouldn't have to worry about the twins getting in the way, and she and Chandler could have the time alone they so richly deserved. She for caring for the twins almost on her own and Chandler... well, Chandler deserved it just for still wanting to marry her in spite of her many quirks, and because he'd been wonderfully patient with her in the past two weeks.

"I'll be back after I talk to Mike" Phoebe's mood was lighter because she felt now that she wasn't lying. She'd be indeed helping Monica, Joey wouldn't be jealous since she wouldn't be living with Mike and she'd bought some time to figure out a way out of this mess without anybody getting hurt. Win-win all around. She just hoped Mike saw it that way.


	10. OPPORTUNITIES

**CHAPTER TEN: OPPORTUNITIES**

The apartment seemed empty when Phoebe walked in the door, but she saw Mike's keys on the table along with the mail. She put her keys and purse down and grabbed the mail before going to the bedroom.

Mike was on the phone and he smiled oddly at her when she walked in and waved hello. She went to her closet to find her suitcase and realized she had yet to unpack from her trip to L.A. Disgusted, she went on to the bathroom to draw a bath and, sitting on the edge of the tub, started sorting through the mail. Among the bills and junk mail, Phoebe found the notification from City Hall. Well, there it was. She was officially single again. She heard Mike get off the phone and come toward the bathroom.

"Hey you" she said with a smile, which Mike returned a little uncomfortably.

"Hey" he seemed somewhat different, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was.

"So, this came in the mail today" she said handing him the letter

"Yeah, I saw that when I came in. How's Monica? Is she still upset?"

"Well… a little, I guess. She's got her plate full right now and this just seemed like the last straw."

"Poor Monica"

Phoebe turned the water off and distractedly put her hand in the tub. She was hedging, she knew it, but she didn't know how to bring up the subject of leaving their apartment for a few weeks.

"I have a job offer" Mike blurted out.

Phoebe's methodic wading of the warm water halted at the news, and she stared at Mike.

"I didn't know you were looking for work"

"Well, I wasn't, but Sam made me an offer I'm finding hard to refuse… The problem is that the job is in Boston"

Phoebe continued to stare and finally managed to ask.

"Who is Sam?"

"Samantha Miller. Remember I told you I'd gone with my parents to Cape Cod with some friends? She's opening a five-star restaurant and needs a piano player and she asked for my help."

"Boston?"

"Yeah"

"What did you tell her?" She didn't know how to react to the news.

"I haven't decided anything yet. I want to go over there, first for 2, 3 weeks at the most to check it out before I make up my mind."

Phoebe didn't know what to say. Mike squatted in front of her and grabbed her hands, one of which was still damp from playing in the water.

"I was gonna talk to you about this, but we've had a hectic couple of days. I really wanna do this. The money is good; the hours are great. I'd have more free time. You'd love Boston. Just think about it these few weeks. Ok? We'll talk when I get back."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. What?! I don't know Mike… My whole life is here…When are you leaving?"

"Tonight on the last flight… do you wanna come with me?"

"No!… I mean, I have to get back to work. It's better if I stay. Monica also wanted me to go stay with her for a few days, but I told her I have to work… you go ahead. This is a great chance for you."

"Come visit me one of these weekends and we'll get married in Boston"

"I don't know about this, Mike. Why don't we wait until you come back?"

"Phoebe…" Mike pleaded with her.

"Where are staying in Boston?" She was suddenly angry that he just made this decision on his own, while she'd been having the worst time trying to break it to him that she didn't want to be remarried.

"At Tom's. He's Samantha's brother. He was my best friend all through elementary school, and then we moved to New York, and we saw each other only occasionally"

She listened to Mike's without really hearing. All of that information seemed irrelevant, as her mind was reeling with the implications of this chance.

"I'll let you know when I can get away," she said uneasily, getting up, forcing Mike to get up too.

"Ok" He said, his eyes searching for hers. "I'm gonna miss you". Phoebe's heart warmed and she gave him a genuine smile.

"Me too" She said truthfully. Mike was really fun and for a minute she remembered what made her fall in love with him in the first place. But the warmth Mike made her feel paled in comparison with the feelings the mere memory of her time with Joey evoked. This was a chance for a brand new start for Mike. She hoped he liked it in Boston so that he'd have a brand new life to go back to when she explained that there would be no remarriage. That she loved him dearly, but that she was in love with Joey.

"Well, are you packed? Do you need help?" she asked, relief made the awkwardness of the last few days go away.

Mike was relieved too. He was afraid she'd be set against the idea of moving, and he had really wanted the chance to work with Sam and see Tom again. He'd had a good time reminiscing last weekend. He wanted to recapture the feeling of contentedness he'd had when he was a child. Maybe that's what made him long to work with Sam and see Tom again. Well, he'd find out.

"I don't wanna take that much. I'm gonna be wearing a tux for work anyway. Besides, I needed to talk to you first…"

Mike's thoughtfulness warmed Phoebe. He was such a good man. He was kind, funny, loving, and silly at times. He just wasn't Joey.

With Phoebe's help, Mike was packed and on his way in a short time. He seemed so excited and she was happy for him. Their goodbye had been friendly, almost fraternal. She hoped business worked out with this Samantha person so that their breakup wouldn't be so hard on him. She'd sent a quick message to Monica's cell saying she wouldn't be going to spend time with them after all. She'd call later to explain.

When Mike had finally gone, Phoebe called Monica.

"_Hello?"_

"How much do you hate me right now, Mon?"

Monica chuckled and said, _"I don't hate you, Pheebs. You'd have come here for nothing, anyway. Chandler came home early because his company sent him to London for 2 weeks."_

"Oh no!"

"_Yeah, I said the same thing, but just then I got your message that you weren't coming, so I just decided to grin and bear it… You owe me, though. Chandler and I are getting remarried when he comes back and he's taking me to Niagara Falls and guess who's babysitting?"_

"I'll be happy to, Mon. It sucks, though, that he left. I may not be moving in with you guys, but I'd have babysat tomorrow."

"_I figured you and Mike got to talk and you guys worked things out"_

"There is really nothing to work out. We weren't fighting. We just seem to be moving in different directions now. He's gone to Boston for 2 weeks"

"_What? Why?"_

"A job opportunity with an old friend. You should've seen him, Mon. He was so excited. I'm actually happy for him."

"_You didn't talk to him. Did you?"_

"Not with his exciting news!"

"_I bet your news would've made HIS news a little bit less exciting!" _Monica quipped sarcastically

"I know I'm a coward, but I couldn't bring myself to do it… Hey Mon, you didn't… umm, tell Chandler about me and Joey. Did you?"

"_Phoebe, between the twins chicken pox and Chandler's trip, it would've been over a month before Chandler and I could be together again… so, believe me, you and Joey were the furthest thing from our minds. I had told him you and Mike had had a fight and you were staying with us for a couple of days, then later I just said you weren't coming."_

"Good. Well, thank you very much, Monica. For everything. Try to come to the city soon. Let's do something together"

"_Sounds good. I'm glad things worked themselves out" _

As soon as she hung up with Monica, she dialed Joey's number in L.A., but got a message saying the number was no longer in service, which made Phoebe smile. He was wrapping things up fast out there. She tried his cell phone but got no answer. Oh well. She guessed she'd talked to him tomorrow, but there was an uneasiness she couldn't shake, but just this one time Phoebe decided to ignore her gut feeling. After all, they would be together very soon.


	11. SURPRISES

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: SURPRISES**

Rachel felt unusually sluggish that morning. She went through the routine of getting herself and her 3-year old ready for the day, but it was taking her longer than usual. She could hear Ross already in the kitchen, and felt her love for him grow a little bit. He was a sweetheart. It was like he knew the day was not going to be a good one for her, and as if on cue, had started breakfast.

Emma was standing on her bed letting Rachel fix her and talking non-stop the way she had since she discovered the spoken language. Rachel usually had fun with their little "conversations" in the morning about the lives of the Sesame Street and other important characters, but today it was an ordeal.

"There you go, baby" Rachel finished dressing her with fake enthusiasm. What was wrong with her? "Want daddy to give you some breakfast?"

Emma nodded her agreement before wrapping her arms around Rachel's neck.

"I love you mommy" she said against Rachel's neck. "I'm gonna miss you today"

Those innocently-spoken words brought unexpected tears to Rachel's eyes. She hugged her daughter tightly, kissed her and sent her to the kitchen with Ross, before she could see the tears.

Rachel quickly straightened out Emma's room and joined her and Ross for breakfast. Emma was telling Ross another one of her stories and he was doing a good job of seeming interested. He winked at Rachel as she sat down with a sigh to drink her coffee. Her weak smile in response to his wink made him frown a little.

Taking advantage of Emma's concentration on her cereal, he said to Rachel: "You ok? You seem off."

"You know, I feel it too. I don't know what it is, but one minute I feel like crying, the next I'm annoyed, restless, I don't know"

"Maybe you should go see your doctor"

"And what am I supposed to say to her 'doctor, my life overwhelms me, give me a pill'?" She said in mild annoyance.

With a tender look on his face, he told her: "How about 'I think I'm pregnant'?"

Rachel froze and a myriad of emotions washed over her face. Finally, she broke into a smile and with tears in her eyes she went over to Ross and hugged him tightly. That thought hadn't even crossed her mind, but it made perfect sense. All of a sudden, the sluggishness was gone and she felt like screaming with joy.

"Oh my God" she said hugging Ross. "Oh my God"

"I know" he said quietly, holding her "Just go make sure. Then we can celebrate"

"What made you think of that? That hadn't even occurred to me!" She said leaving his embrace to look at him with surprise.

"I don't know. You've been on top of the world one minute and sad the next for the better part of 2 weeks, and you weren't even aware of it"

"I'm sorry" she said sincerely. "Work has been hectic and you know what? I wished we'd gone to L.A. with Phoebe to see Joey. It would have made a nice little vacation"

"I know, Rache, but I couldn't get out of that conference thing. One of the down sides of having tenure, and you couldn't either, the down side of having a job"

Rachel rolled her eyes and playfully hit Ross's arm, before turning to kiss Emma's head.

"Almost done, sweetie? We gotta go"

"Look daddy" Emma said showing Ross the empty bowl "I was a good girl. I finished all my cereal"

"Yes, darling. You were. Let's go brush your teeth so you and mommy can go" then turning to Rachel. "Don't forget to make your appointment with the doctor"

Rachel was already looking for the number in their address book and getting ready to call and they shared a smile. A nice feeling of contentedness filled her. This was so much different than last time. She felt safe. She hadn't been alone when she was pregnant with Emma, but she was single and she hadn't known how Ross was going to react to her news. Now, it seemed like both of them were looking forward to this. They were in a good place in their relationship and giving Emma a brother or sister was something that although neither had discussed she felt they both wanted.

The 7-year gap between Emma and Ben was just too big. Rachel knew Ben loved Emma, but his interests were just too different. Soon Ben would become a teenager and Emma's adoring attention would no longer amuse him quite so much. This was a wonderful surprise! Maybe now they could seriously talk about getting out of the city, about getting a house, about getting married.


End file.
